ADVISORY BOARD ON RADIATION AND WORKER HEALTH

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May 23, 2007

The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt
Secretary of Health and Human Services
ee ea Department of Health and Human Services
, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20201

CHAIRMAN:

MEMBERS:

Josie Beach
Richland, Washington

Dear Mr. Secretary:

Bisdiey Piciawaen The Advisory Board on Radiation and Worker Health (The Board)

Rexburg, Idaho has evaluated SEC Petition-00051 concerning workers at the Los
Wisi. Gibson Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico under the statutory
Franklin, Ohio requirements established by EEOICPA and incorporated into 42 CFR
iaaiEK. Dilffon Sec. 83.13 and 42 CFR Sec. 83.14. The Board respectfully
Salem, New Hampshire recommends Special Exposure Cohort (SEC) status be accorded to
Jones Lockey 0. all employees of the DOE, its predecessor agencies, or DOE
Cincinnati, Ohio contractors or subcontractors who were monitored or should have
. been monitored for radiological exposures while working in
‘Tonia operational Technical Areas with a history of radioactive material use
veaniiarL Maia at the Los Alamos National Laboratory for a number of work days
Richland, Washington aggregating at least 250 work days during the period from March 15,
1943 through December 31, 1975 , or in combination with work days
“College Sato ae within the parameters established for one or more other classes of
Robert W. Presley employees in the SEC. The Board notes that although NIOSH found
Clinton, Tennessee that they were unable to completely reconstruct radiation doses for
these employees, NIOSH believes that they are able to reconstruct
Bestia aicana Ee components of the internal dose including tritium (1950-1975),
Philip Schofiatd polonium (1944-1956), plutonium (1944-1975), and uranium (1943-
Bosque Farm, New Mexico 1975) and of the external dose including gamma (1946-1975), beta

(1949-1975), neutron (1946-1975) and occupational medical X-ray
(1943-1975), and therefore individuals with non-presumptive cancers
STAFF: may be considered for partial dose reconstructions.
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY:

Lewis V. Wade, Ph.D
Washington, DC

This recommendation is based on the following factors:

e People working at the Los Alamos National Laboratory
during this time period worked in nuclear weapons
development and testing and other technical and scientific
research involving exposures to many different radionuclides.

IMITTE INA‘

LaShawn D. Shields
Atlanta, Georgia


The Honorable Michael O. Leavitt May 23, 2007

The NIOSH review of the available monitoring data as well as the available source
term information found that they lacked adequate information necessary to conduct
adequate individual dose reconstructions for a number of radionuclides during a
significant percentage of the time period in question. The Board concurs with this
conclusion that individual dose reconstructions are not feasible for people working
in these technical areas from March 15, 1943 through December 31, 1975.

The NIOSH review of the available monitoring data as well as the available source
term information found that they lacked adequate information necessary to conduct
adequate individual dose reconstructions for a number of radionuclides during a
significant percentage of the time period in question. The Board concurs with this
conclusion that individual dose reconstructions are not feasible for people working
in these technical areas from March 15, 1943 through December 31, 1975.

Enclosed is supporting documentation from the recent Advisory Board Meeting held in
Denver, Colorado where this special exposure cohort class was discussed. If any of these
items are unavailable at this time, they will follow shortly.

Enc.

Sincerely,

fle m4 ae re
Paul L. Ziemer, Ph.D.
Chairman

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